One of the horror genre's "most widely read critics" (Rue Morgue # 68), "an accomplished film journalist" (Comic Buyer's Guide #1535), and the award-winning author of Horror Films of the 1980s (2007), The Rock and Roll Film Encyclopedia (2007) and Horror Films of the 1970s (2002), John Kenneth Muir, presents his blog on film, television and nostalgia, named one of the Top 100 Film Studies Blog on the Net.

Sunday, May 22, 2016

At Flashbak: Mattel's Vertibird (1971)

This
week at Flashbak, I remembered an awesome toy from the 1970s, Mattel’s
Vertibird.

“In
1971, Mattel produced one of the greatest toys of a generation: the Vertibird.

The
Vertibird toy featured a helicopter which could fly around a central base while
a “pilot” operated a control panel which could change speed and even pitch.

The
box for the original Vertibird noted that the (child) pilot could “throttle fast or slow” the copter with
8-inch rotors. The pilot could also “change
altitude, speed, direction…and touchdown.”

But
there was more to Vertibird than mere flight. The plot could also engage in
rescue missions, picking up an astronaut and “his space capsule.”

Described
and promoted as “safe flying for indoors
and outdoors,” the Vertibird came in many packages throughout the 1970s and
early 1980s, and had a multitude of copycats.

In
terms of copycats, Remco created a Star Trek (1966-1969) version of the
Vertibird, with a flying starship Enterprise instead of a rescue copter. The
toy was called CSF: Controlled Space Flight.

Mattel’s
Vertibird got into the space age action as well, creating a Space:1999
(1975-1977) model – in which one could command the series’ trademark Eagle
space craft -- and later a Battlestar Galactica (1978-1979)
edition too….”

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About John

award-winning author of 27 books including Horror Films FAQ (2013), Horror Films of the 1990s (2011), Horror Films of the 1980s (2007), TV Year (2007), The Rock and Roll Film Encyclopedia (2007), Mercy in Her Eyes: The Films of Mira Nair (2006),, Best in Show: The Films of Christopher Guest and Company (2004), The Unseen Force: The Films of Sam Raimi (2004), An Askew View: The Films of Kevin Smith (2002), The Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film & Television (2004), Exploring Space:1999 (1997), An Analytical Guide to TV's Battlestar Galactica (1998), Terror Television (2001), Space:1999 - The Forsaken (2003) and Horror Films of the 1970s (2002).

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What the Critics Say...

"...some of the best writing about the genre has been done by John Kenneth Muir. I am particularly grateful to him for the time and attention he's paid to things others have overlooked, under-appreciated and often written off. His is a fan's perspective first, but with a critic's eye to theme and underscore, to influence and pastiche..." - Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files, in the foreword to Horror Films FAQ (October 2013).

"Hands down, John Kenneth Muir is one of the finest critics and writers working today. His deep analysis of contemporary American culture is always illuminating and insightful. John's film writing and criticism is outstanding and a great place to start for any budding writer, but one should also examine his work on comic books, TV, and music. His weighty catalog of books and essays combined with his significant blog production places him at the top of pop culture writers. Johns work is essential in understanding the centrality of culture in modern society." - Professor Bob Batchelor, cultural historian and Executive Director of the James Pedas Communication Center at Thiel College (2014).

"...an independent film scholar, [Muir] explains film studies concepts in a language that is reader-friendly and engaging..." (The Hindu, 2007)"...Muir's genius lies in his giving context to the films..." (Choice, 2007)